Multi-million pound Custom House redevelopment gets green light

Plans to transform Custom House through a multi-million-pound redevelopment scheme have been given the green light.

Newham Council cabinet members unanimously agreed to press ahead with a wide range of measures that will result in the creation of thousands of new homes.

Through the agreement of a residents’ charter, the council will give those in affected streets the right to stay in, or return to, Canning Town and Custom House, with council tenants guaranteed a council house with the same number of bedrooms as before.

Home-owners forced to move will be paid the market value by the council, plus an additional 10 per cent for residents – 7.5pc for those not living in the property.

Before the meeting on Thursday, copies of a speech by The People’s Empowerment Alliance for Custom House (PEACH) were distributed.

“The PEACH Housing Club and the PEACH Shopkeepers Group is us, as a community, representing ourselves,” it read.

“You, as elected councillors, also represent us.

“Therefore we should have the same objectives, and whilst we may not always agree on how to get there, we are willing to work together.”

Cllr Ken Clarke said: “We welcome PEACH’s support for our proposed plan going forward and I would like to reassure them again that we will be honouring the commitments we make through the shopkeepers and residents charter and hope that they stick with us through this period so that they can be part of the new story for Custom House.”

The creation of a Freemasons Road Shopkeepers charter also includes a right to remain in Newham during the building work for affected businesses and right to return to the street when the building work is finished.

And Mayor Sir Robin Wales insisted there would be no U-turns over the council’s promises .

“If we make a promise, we keep it,” he said. “Once a promise has been made it needs to be kept. Promises are important to us.”